Positive technology for elderly well-being: A review

In the last decades, given the necessity of assisting fragile citizens, of which elderly represent a significant portion, a considerable research effort has been devoted to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in daily living to promote activity, social connections, and independence. With similar purposes, in recent years psychologists proposed the novel paradigm of Positive Psychology (PP), the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels. The joint effort between ICT and PP has led to the definition of the emerging field of Positive Technology (PT), with the aim of developing technology consciously designed to foster well-being in individuals and groups. In this paper we review PT focusing on frameworks involving computer vision and machine learning for promoting cognitive, physical, emotional and social elderly well-being. Our discussion highlights a significant gap between theoretical needs and technological systems availability, suggesting future lines of research.